662 THJE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



Next let us consider the actual circumstances under which he ob- 

 served the eclipse, for they also are important in enabling us to esti- 

 mate the value of his result. " Having been somewhat hastily carried," 

 he says, " from the summit of Pike's Peak down to the Lake House 

 (elevation 10,000 feet), I had by Monday noon recovered sufficiently 

 to be laid on the ground upon a gentle slope facing westward, where I 

 studied the rays visible about the sun during totality. I had no optical 

 or other instrument, and unfortunately had only a pair of spectacles 

 not quite sufficient even to correct my near-sightedness. By straining 

 my eyes somewhat I was, however, able to do something. My whole 

 attention was given to the rays that extended beyond the brilliant ring 

 which I presume represents the true solar atmosphere. I was undis- 

 turbed by any other consideration except to get a true presentation of 

 these rays. ... I went over the region around the sun again and again 

 — at least six times — leisurely during the 161 seconds of totality, and 

 cannot doubt the truthfulness and fairness of my drawing and descrip- 

 tion. . . . Two stakes were driven down on either side of me ; and 

 between them was placed a rotable axis, on which my drawing-board 

 and paper were fastened. . . . By slightly tipping my drawing-board I 

 kept the sun just above it, or just hidden from view, as I wished, while 

 I drew in such details as I wished, and that too, as it seemed to me at 

 the time, with great ease and accuracy, especially as to the angular 

 position of the rays." 



The moon or sun appeared surrounded by a narrow brilliant white 

 ring, less than 140,000 miles broad. (We alter the technical indication 

 of apparent breadth into the actual breadth in miles, as likely to be 

 more intelligible to most of our readers.) This ring was as brilliant as 

 the full moon. It was of uniform tint and light, continuous and with- 

 out any break or structure visible to Professor Abbe, " Outside of this 

 there was no other concentric coronal appearance, and no external 

 boundary ; but the immaculate blue-black sky immediately adjoined 



this light, which I now call the true 

 solar corona or atmosphere." There 

 was throughout plenty of light to read 

 and write by, though very different 

 from that given by the full moon. 



The picture which accompanies Pro- 

 fessor Abbe's description in the " Colo- 

 rado Springs Daily Gazette " is doubt- 

 less not intended to present with any 

 accuracy the actual tints or degrees of 

 ^r^t^if c^^ ^^^ ^^^^ ^^^.^ "^^ brightness of the various features ob- 



ECLIPSED SUN BY PeOFESSOR AbBE. ° 



served. The shape of the streamers is 

 shown with sufficient exactness in the accompanying figure. It will be 

 understood, of course, that the rays numbered were seen on a dark 

 background, the "immaculate blue" of Abbe's description. 



